This Week in Sustainability: Technology Unearths Vast Water Source in Kenya and Engaging Employees Through Sustainability

Using powerful new technology, researchers have discovered two massive aquifers in the poorest and least developed region of Kenya. The Guardian reported that the team, led by Unesco and backed by Radar Technologies, developed new technology to evaluate radar and oil exploration data to find the water. The technology provides maps that give detailed indications of where water has accumulated beneath the surface of the earth.. The aquifers are estimated to contain enough water and to replenish quickly enough to supply the entire country. While Oxfam’s experts greeted the news with caution, stating that proving access to the water will be a challenge without proper infrastructure, the country plans to use the technology to map water resources for the entire country.

Elsewhere, Greenbiz reported this week on a new study that shows a boost in employee productivity in firms that voluntarily adopt CSR activities. The study by researchers Magali Delmas and Sanja Pekovic was named one of the winners of the new Research Impact on Practice Award. Looking at the impact green practice had on employee behavior, Delmas and Pekovic found that firms using environmental management systems (EMS) experienced higher rates of employee engagement and commitment. The study also found that the efficiencies gained by EMS increased overall efficiency and helped entice new customers.